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The fall of Zhang Youxia and the new rules of power in Xi’s army
General Zhang’s removal puts the military on notice that no one will be spared by a leader prepared to suffer painful institutional disruption for longer-term gains.
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General Zhang Youxia was not only China’s top-ranked uniformed officer but also a Politburo member and, until recently, widely regarded as one of President Xi Jinping’s most trusted military allies.
PHOTO: AFP
A week ago, speculation that two of China’s most senior military leaders were in trouble began circulating after they were conspicuously absent from a high-level study session in Beijing – an omission that rarely goes unnoticed in China’s tightly choreographed political theatre.
Similar rumours had swirled before, particularly around General Zhang Youxia, the first-ranked vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), China’s highest military decision-making body.
